At Symphony Dinner, Wine Takes Center Stage — to the Tune of $650K

Priscilla Dickson
At Symphony Dinner, Wine Takes Center Stage — to the Tune of $650K

Milka Waterland, Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl and Elia Gabbanelli

THE JONES HALL stage is frequently a place where stars can be found. On a particularly lucky Friday the 13th, the Symphony hosted a fundraising dinner of which the true stars were bottles of fine wine — and supporters were eager to raise a glass!


More than 350 beautifully dressed Houstonians turned out for the 2022 Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction, chaired by Joan and Robert Duff and benefiting the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement programs. After making an entrance on the red carpet and perusing the auction items in the lobby, guests, seated at one of many round tables arranged on the Jones Hall stage, enjoyed a multicourse meal by City Kitchen. Vino pairings were selected by John Rydman, owner of Spec’s and president of the Houston Symphony Society.

This year’s Collector’s Auction included hundreds of rare and exceptional wines and wine-related experiences, and a lucky raffle winner took home 12 bottles of 100-point wine, according to Wine Advocate. The evening’s total till topped $650,000. Cheers!

Haylie Duff and Matt Rosenberg

Kamilah Todd and Eric Brueggeman

Alan and Elizabeth Stein

Yoon Smith, Malaika Mukoro and Amy Shen

Ann and Jonathan Ayre

William Dee and Lea Hunt

Evan and Carin Collins

Leslie Siller and Robert Sakowitz

James Craig and Jacquie Baly

Joan and Robert Duff

David and Kirby Lodholz

Hallie Vanderhider and Fady Armanious

The Jones Hall stage

Parties
Cool for ‘Schools’! CIS Wants to Transport You to a Whimsical ‘Wonderland’ at Milestone Gala

CIS 2024 Gala Honorary Co-Chair Judy Tate, Co-Chair Lauren Brollier, Co-Chair Cassie Milam, Honorary Co-Chair Kirby McCool

WHETHER YOU PREFER Alice, the Mad Hatter or the Queen of Hearts, Communities In Schools of Houston’s A Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary GalaA Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary Gala is not to be missed! Join in the celebration for a whimsical good time on Thursday, April 4th, at the luxurious Post Oak Hotel.

Keep Reading Show less

Inside Hearsay's new Levy Park restaurant

SOON WE WILL be thinking about alfresco dining, taking our kids or pups to the park, and generally being outdoors in crisper weather. Enter Hearsay, the new oasis in Levy Park, which replaces the shuttered Woodshed Smokehouse.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

The shiny new Dr. Jack Express electric locomotive

JUST IN TIME for a long weekend — and a teeny reprieve from triple-digit temps — Hermann Park Conservancy has announced it will offer free train rides from Aug. 31-Sept. 6 to celebrate a pair of new locomotives.

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places